Holiday Love
by Serendipity Kat
Summary: [CATS AU] Discontinued.
1. Residents

Welcome to Cattail, New York. A town where everybody is family and anything is possible. Meet the felines who make their home here:

Rumpleteazer: 26, fashion designer, works for Kiara Feline Clothing Company

Goldith: 25, Lawyer, Teazer's best friend and roommate, dating Alonzo

Alonzo: 25, computer whiz, works from home, dating Goldith

Mungojerrie: 25, almost-owner of car garage, semi-barfly

Rum Tum Tugger: 25, owner of Moon Café, playboy (although he's married to Bombalurina), barfly

Bombalurina: 27, dancer and co-owner of The Rose (bar), married to Tugger (major flirt), Demeter's sister

Jennyanydots: 38, Rumpleteazer's aunt, owner of Cattail Clothing, busybody, married to Skimbleshanks

Skimbleshanks: 40, Rumpleteazer's uncle, manager of train station, married to Jennyanydots

Jellylorum: 37, homemaker, Mungojerrie's mother, married to Bustopher Jones

Jemima: 22, waitress at Moon Café, Mungojerrie's sister

Demeter: 25, dancer and co-owner of The Rose, dating Munkustrap, Bombalurina's sister

Munkustrap: 27, works at the antique store, dating Demeter

Tantomille: 30, librarian, Coricopat's twin

Coricopat: 30, owner of Cattail Grocery, Tantomille's twin

Victoria: 23, waitress at Moon Café, likes Mistoffelees

Mistoffelees: 24, hair stylist at Cattail Salon, likes Victoria

Etcetera: 23, waitress at Moon Café, Electra's twin, likes Tumblebrutus

Electra: 23, hair stylist at Cattail Salon, Etcetera's twin, likes Pouncival

Pouncival: 23, works at garage, likes Electra

Tumblebrutus: 25, works at Cattail Grocery, likes Etcetera

Others:

Marla, Rosita, Skylark, Dasher: all 25, dancers at The Rose, "Bomba's Girls"

Bustopher Jones: 42, business tom, rarely home, married to Jellylorum

Keller: 63, magical, owner of antique shop, town gossip,

Admetus: 34, owner of drugstore

Asparagus: 33, owner of appliance store

Deuteronomy: 44, real estate agent

Plato: 24, college student/filmmaker, wallflower, likes Jemima

Slip off your shoes and enter into a delightful world. Enjoy your stay.


	2. Prologue

_A/N: I wrote this after reading 3 Romance novels. The idea took hold and didn't let me go. I also know that a lot of romance stories are all fluff. Not that I have a problem with it. But I've decided to add a plot twist. If you can figure it out... good for you. But remember... everything is not as it seems. The twist will extend into the other1 or 2 stories I have planned for this series that all takes place in Cattail, NY. I hope you enjoy it._

_-Purrs, Anglina_

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_Not a sound was made, not a breeze floated… and yet, there was movement. Not detectable by feline eyes, for it wasn't real; at least… not in a sense of being made of fur and blood. Her paws never touched the floor as the queen paced in front of the drawing room window. Tattered and faded once-red curtains hung shabbily at the sides. Lady Tavia was restless again. She wore a ragged white dress that could have been called elegant, a long, long time ago. Her fur was matted and dirty, and if it had been real, it would have a colorful calico. She was never meant to find happiness, and yet, somehow, she had to reverse it. But how? It was her mother's fault for being a witch. It was her mother's fault for messing things up. Oh, they'd tried to fight it, and they nearly succeeded. _

_She remembered it all too well. _

He stood at the alter in his expensive black tux, a proud smile on his face. She was in her lovely white wedding dress with her long blonde hair cascading down her calico back as she slowly walked down the isle. She reached the front and he took her paw. They were about to say their vows, when suddenly Sahari flew into room shrieking like a banshee. In the background, barely visible, was another feline, Siara, Sahari's cousin. Tavia was the only one who noticed. The hidden queen raised her paws as if in attempt to stop Sahari.

"How could you!" the red and yellow queen screamed at the shocked couple holding each other on the alter. "You can't marry him! You don't have the right to, I do! Now… you both will be cursed! You will never find true happiness with each other as long as I have my power!" she shrieked even louder and she lifted her paws to the ceiling. Dark blue lightning shot out of her red paws and then… she disappeared with a deafening shriek. Siara collapsed, but it went unnoticed as s voice cried out,

"Tavia… help me!" came a voice.

Tavia looked at Lord Damar and gave a cry of despair. "No! No! No! She can't… I can't live without you… no, Damar…" her sobs trailed off as he raised a paw to her cheek and whispered,

"I love you, Tavia." Then his paw fell to his side and his chest stopped moving.

Tavia continued to cry as she held her love's body. She took the ring that he had in his hand and slipped it on her paw. She leaned down and gave him one final kiss. She stood up and faced the gathering of all of Cattail's residents. "From here on," she spoke with a trembling voice, "I am now Lady… Tavia, wife of Lord Damar." And with that she left the church building. Everybody else stared at her in amazement, but nobody had the heart to refute her decision.

From then on, until she died, 2 years later, she lived by herself in the house at the end of Apple Street. Her hatred for Sahari grew and pulsed within her being until she passed and then it became a dull thud.

4 years later…

_She still felt the thud of hatred beat against her non-existent being. She felt a presence behind her and leaned back against the similar shadow. Lord Damar pulled her into an embrace. You see, spirits can interact like felines too, but only with each other. They can't interact with living, breathing, felines. 'What are we to do, my love?' Tavia asked softly. Spirits also can only speak mind to mind. _

_'I don't know, darling.' He replied and wrapped his ghostly arms around her. Lord Damar was tall and very handsome. His fur would also be a calico if he'd been real. But… like Lady Tavia, he was dead. _

_Tavia turned to look at her almost mate. She put her paws on his shoulders and said slowly, 'There is one final way…'_

_Lord Damar shook his head. 'No! You know what will happen! If we do and something goes wrong… I'll lose you forever. I couldn't bear it.'_

_Tavia started to wring her paws. 'But, we must at least try, right?' she pleaded._

_He shook his head. 'No, we mustn't. I don't want to lose you.'_

_'I don't want to lose you either, but if we don't try, we'll be stuck like this for all eternity. I want to do this! I want to be able to feel your touch, your kiss, the sunlight, grass… I want to be alive again.' She stopped and looked at him. 'If you won't do it, then I will.' She started to walk away and threw over her shoulder, 'I'll be sure to leave enough for you.' and with that she disappeared. _

_Lord Damar looked back at the window. But then, he felt a power surge and it was as if a part of him had been ripped out of his body. If he had been normal, he would have cried out in pain, but even though he felt it, it wasn't painful. _

_It shouldn't be too hard, just wait until she realizes that he's not coming after her. Then, she'll realize her mistake and take care of it. Then they'll be back together. Minutes passed. But… what if she didn't realize it? What if she didn't come back? He raced out of the drawing room and made his way down to the cellar. And there, on the small table was a vial that was half empty and Tavia's gown. He picked up the gown and rubbed his cheek over it. He looked slowly at the small bottle and then at the dress. He stood up and picked up the bottle. Slowly, with paws shaking, he raised it to his lips and drank. _

_He began to feel dizzy and he dropped the bottle in order to grab the table for support. The last thing he remembered was holding her dress as he fainted. _

_Siara felt the two of them leave. She stood in the living room of her house in the neighboring town of Quarry. She raised her paws and chanted in a foreign tongue. The was a crash and then... nothing. She too, had gone to do what she could to try to break the spell..._

**26 years later in New York City…**

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Like it? Hate it? Let me know!


	3. Holiday Plans

_A/N: Just so you know... I wrote the Prologue after writing Ch. 1 so if some things don't line up and/or don't make sense... well, as with most of my stories, they are works-in-progress. But in the meantime, enjoy your stay in Cattail, NY. Also... I have never been to NYC, so if something seems off or wrong to you either ignore it or tell me how I can fix it._

_-Purrs, Anglina_

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Chapter 1: Holiday Plans

Rumpleteazer was bored. Bored, bored, bored. She remembered the Thanksgiving fun with her friends yesterday. They were probably all still asleep while she was stuck at work. She crossed her boot-clad legs, pulling her skirt down and sighed. She had no reason to be bored, but she was. She was one of the top designers, despite being young at age 26, for Kiara Feline Clothing Company. It was her dream job. Ever since she was a kitten, she'd always dreamt of working for Kiara Feline Clothing Company. They had one of the best lines out there. So she had drawn constantly and pushed herself through school. It had been hard there for a while, when her mom died in a car accident. She had no idea where her father was because her parents had divorced when she was too young to remember. So she ended up living with her best friend, Goldith and her family. Her only relative who lived even remotely close to New York City was her Aunt Jennyanydots and she lived in Cattail, NY. It was right outside of Albany. But despite everything, she continued to push herself through high school and then using money from her aunt, scholarships, and a loan, she pushed her way through design school, graduating with an AA in Fine Arts. She went to every store and every fashion event she could find to show off her portfolio. She was finally noticed by a rep. from Kiara Feline and signed on immediately. She'd been working there for about 9 months.

The calico queen pushed her short blonde hair out of her face and focused her bright blue eyes on the half finished sketch in front of her. As soon as she finished this, she could go home. It was the final piece in Kiara's new winter line. The New York Silver Plate Fashion Gala was set for December 20th and within the Kiara Feline runway space was a showcase for her work exclusively. She was well on her way to produce her own line, but she felt as if something was missing.

She looked at the drawing. It was a picture of a dress. It was A-line and came off the shoulders. There was a sash around the waist that gathered on the right side and was held there with a pin. It looked pretty good, but it seemed too bare. She picked up her charcoal pencil and chewed on the end of it. She then remembered a picture she'd seen a long time ago. It was a shirt and it had fur on it. Yes, that would work nicely. She'd add fur to the neckline and cuffs. Her pencil flew over the paper as the harsh lamp beat down on her drafting table. As soon as she finished, she threw her pencil down and shouted, "Yes!" she uncrossed her legs and stretched. She could finally head home. She was done for a while. Her boss had told her that she could have the time off until the show and then after that until a few days after New Year's.

But now, with nothing to do, that left her to ponder what she'd do for the holidays. She knew that she could always go with Goldith to New Jersey and visit her family. Goldith's family used to live in NY, but after the two friends had graduated high school, the rest of the family moved to Jersey where the rest of their clan resided. Just as she was gathering up her coat after cleaning up her table, her cell rang. Throwing her coat on, she fished around in her purse and pushed the phone to her pointed ear. "Hello? Oh, hi Aunt Jenny. Bye, Tucker!" she called to the night-watchtom as she left the sleek black and white building. "Yes I'm fine, Jenny. No, no I… I just left work. No I'm not working too hard." She gave a light laugh. "I'm gonna pick up some wine and indulge in a bubble bath and probably watch an old movie with Goldith and Alonzo. What? Oh, ok. I don't know. I have a show on the 20th. Yes, I'll be sure to get an invitation sent to you. Yes. Oh, I get my own time slot!" as she spoke this last part; she gave a little twirl on the sidewalk. Brrrr, it was cold. She pulled her wool coat closer to her body. She walked up 4th and ducked into the corner market to pick up the wine, still taking to Aunt Jenny. "I'm going to Goldith's. Yes, Alonzo will be coming." (Goldith's current boyfriend.) "I'll probably stay there until the show and then we'll drive back up. And after the show, we'll go back down for Christmas and New Year's. Well, I, yes… I suppose I could come for a visit. Do you still have your shop?" her aunt owned the main clothing shop in Cattail. It was such a small town that everybody knew everybody. Her aunt was also the resident busybody and hostess. "Ok. Yeah, I'll come. Can I help out in the shop? If I don't do something, during my break, I'll go mad." She suddenly stopped for a minute. Her muscles were frozen in shock. As she stood there, it was as if a small voice whispered _'Good, you're coming home.'_ She shook her head and tuned back to what Jennyanydots was saying.

By this time, she'd reached the two-bedroom apartment she shared with Goldith and her current boyfriend. Her newest one, Alonzo, she'd been going with for almost 9 months. That was a record for her, for her relationships usually never lasted more than a month at most. She hoped that this time it would work out for her friend. Anyone could see that they adored each other and Alonzo was much nicer than some of the other toms she'd brought home. She threw her stuff on the floor and heard some quiet giggles coming from Goldith's bedroom. She rolled her eyes and continued to talk to Jenny. "Yes, I'll get the gas. Oh… well, ok. That's fine. Ok, if you really want to. Cool. Yeah, I need to wake my roommates up." She gave a quiet laugh. "Alright Aunt Jenny, I love you too and I'll see you in few days. Bye." She hit the 'end' button, unzipped her high heeled boots, and flopped down on the couch. Then she heard the giggles again. She sighed, grinned, and pushed herself up. She crept up to her friend's door, took a deep breath, and raised her fisted paw.

"OPEN UP IN THERE! I MEAN IT! NO SEX BEFORE DECEMBER 1ST!" she yelled as she pounded on the door and then pushed it open. The petite queen opened it just in time to see the black and white tom known as Alonzo tumble off the bed with a yell trying to grab some covers so that he wouldn't be exposed.

But at the same time, Goldith was trying to do the same. Only she screamed and lost the fight for the covers. They fell down around her brown waist. She sat, stunned and topless for a minute, then noticed Teazer laughing her head off. She lunged for her nightgown and shrieked, "RUMPLETEAZER! I'm gonna get you for that!" meanwhile Alonzo was still on the ground, tangled up in the down comforter, trying to find his clothes. He wasn't having much luck for they were on the dresser on the other side of the room. He glared at Teazer.

"Teazer, why'd ya haveta do that? We were comfortable!" he whined.

"Oh, suck it up, ya big baby." She replied while heading over to the dresser and picking up the toms' clothes. She headed back over to the bed, ruffled his brown hair, and dropped them on his head. "I'm sure you were comfy, but I brought us some wine. It should cure the post-feast hangover you have. Come on you big lump."

He grabbed his clothes and stood up, still clutching them to his body. He leaned down (he was 5'9 and she was 5'3") and kissed her blonde head. "Hi to you too darling."

She just smirked at this display of affection. He always did stuff like that. He was a very amorous tom. Then she headed to her room. She opened the door to find a mess. She sighed. Damn it! She forgot to clean this morning. Now, instead of a neat room, there were several days' worth of clothes, books, papers, pens, and pop cans scattered over her floor. It also hadn't helped that the wine had been flowing freely at the thanksgiving party the day before. A group of her friends got together and partied until around 1pm. Her bed wasn't much better. The white and blue comforter was pushed to one side of the mattress and the sheets were spread everywhere, trailing on the floor. Her 'bed' was really two mattresses placed on top each other on the floor. She didn't have a bed frame 'cause she spent her money on the supplies that she needed more often than vanity issues. She liked the frameless bed just fine. She sashayed over to her boom box, slipped a CD in and hit play. Dance music came blaring out of the speakers. She moved to the beat as she hurriedly picked up dirty clothes and plunked them into the dirty hamper. There, now she wouldn't forget them. Hell, she'd need them if she was gonna be gone for the holidays. Not that it was more than a three-hour trip to Cattail… but who wants to run back and forth just for clothes? Not her. Half an hour later, satisfied with the cleaning job and clad in PJ bottoms, camisole, and slippers, she made her way to the kitchen. There she found Goldith sitting on the countertop in her robe and right in front of her was Alonzo in his boxers and t-shirt. They made a handsome couple. His black and white to her dark brown and gold. The bottle of wine was open beside them and Alonzo was leaning towards Goldith and was apparently whispering sweet nothings in her ears judging by the smile on her face. "Why didn't ya'll wait for me? I'm the one who bought the wine, remember?" she teased as she rescued the bottle and took a long swig.

The two lovebirds blushed and Goldith piped up. "Well, you weren't out here and it was calling to us. Come on, tell you what, I'll buy another bottle tomorrow, k?"

Alonzo tore his face away from Goldith's neck and spoke. "Better yet, I'll take us all out to dinner and then…" he turned back to Goldith, "we'll have our own celebration." He pressed his nose to hers and she giggled.

Teazer laughed. "Yes to Goldith and no to Alonzo."

A look of disappointment passed across his face.

"Sorry guys, I'm tired and not tomorrow, but Thursday, I'm going to drive up to Cattail for the holidays. No, I won't be coming to Jersey." She told them.

Goldith looked disappointed. "But I got a letter from them two weeks ago and little Bounder was asking for 'Aunty Teazer.'"

Rumple's smile disappeared. Bounder was Goldith's little adopted brother and had grown accustom to calling her 'Aunty Teazer.' "I'll miss him too, but I haven't seen Aunt Jenny in years. I lost count after 10. I need to go visit her. Besides, she still owns her shop, so it's not like I'll be bored while I'm there. When are you guys leaving?"

Goldith slid off the counter and went to the fridge looking for something to eat. "Tomorrow. We'll leave in the morning and then arrive in Jersey National Airport around 6."

"Oh, well, have fun. I'm going to bed. Night you two." But as Teazer headed off towards her room, the phone rang. She picked it up. "Hello? Oh, hi Poppylou. Yes, I'm fine. Mmm, uh-huh, yeah, no prob." She pulled the phone away from her ear. "Gold, it's mom!" Goldith's family was like her own and Poppylou always insisted on being called 'mom.'

Goldith pulled the phone out of Teazer's hand and stuck her tongue out. "Hi mom. What's up? We'll be over by 6… oh." her voice trailed off. "Oh, wow! I'm happy for him. Yeah, a bit, but if we all come, we'll eat you out of the house. Don't forget, Alonzo eats enough for the two of EEEEKKK!" the last part came out as a squeak. Alonzo pinched her sides. "Yes, I'm ok, mom. Alonzo's just bothering me." She stuck her tongue out at him and he pretended to pout.

He shuffled over to Teazer for comfort. She just laughed and pulled his face close to her chest. It was something they always did. The same routine happened every time Poppylou called.

"Yes, no… it shouldn't be a problem. Alright, I love you too. Yes, I'll send presents. Kisses to everybody. I need to go. Your other daughter is hitting on my tom. I love you all. Bye-bye." She hung up the phone. "All right, you slut, paws off! He's mine!" she growled playfully as Alonzo pulled away.

"Awe, come on baby. I love you more." He pleaded, giving her huge baby Pollicle eyes.

She just laughed and kissed him. He smiled hugely.

"Hey, what was that all about?" Teaze asked as she took a swig of the wine.

Her gold face fell. "Dad got a promotion and it involves a paid trip to the Caribbean for the holidays. Everybody in the immediate family is going except for us 'cause we don't live there. So, now, we don't have a place to go for the holidays. Hey, Teaze? Could we come with you?"

Rumple looked unsure. "Um, I don't know, I'll have to ask Aunt Jenny if she could house two more. Hold that thought." She grabbed her cell and scrolled through the phonebook until she came to Jenny's number. "Hi Jenny, it's Teazer again. No, no everything is fine. Actually, I was wondering if I could bring along two friends. Yes, it is them. Their family is going on a vacation offered by dad's work. So they don't have a place to go. Really? Great! No problem. Oh, before I forget, is there anything you want me to get you?" she quickly grabbed a piece of stray paper and a pen. "Uh-huh, ok. How many bolts? What colors? Oh yeah, the satin? No problem. Taffeta and what else? Yes I can get some of that nice knit. Ok, no problem. Ok. We'll see you in a few days. Love you. Bye." She hung up the phone and continued to write for a bit. She looked up. "We're going to Cattail, folks!" she threw her hands up in the air.

"Thank you much, this is gonna be awesome!" Alonzo yelled happily. He grabbed Goldith by the waist and spun her around.

"Hey! What about me?" Teazer asked, pouting. "I'm the one who's driving!"

In response, Alonzo let go of Goldith and proceeded to do the same thing to Rumpleteazer.

She clung to his strong shoulders and squealed for joy. "Ok, handsome, enough. Down boy, good boy. Here's a treat." He let her go and got on his hands and knees. She pushed her hair out of the way and leaned down and gave him a kiss on his head. "Good night, you two. Please don't make too much noise." She gave a warning look to the two goof-offs.

Two innocent expressions looked at her.

She shook her head and shuffled back to her room, yawning all the way. The day's activities were catching up to her. As she turned off the lights, her mind drifted to what early memories of Cattail she could remember. But as she started to fall asleep, a fuzzy picture of an old dilapidated house slipped into her mind. But it wasn't disturbing, it felt comfortable. Her tired mind decided not to dwell on it and soon she was fast asleep.

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Like it? Hate it? Let me know.


	4. Holiday Shopping and Past Memories

_A/N: Hello, darlings! Yes, there will be more appearences of the other jellicles in later chapters. I also would like reviews! Yes, I'm begging for you to review. But I need reviews. How do I know if you like it and want me to continue if I don't get feedback? Oh, same as Prologue, my stories are in the process of being edited. Be prepared for updates frequently._

_-Purrs, Anglina_

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Chapter 2: Holiday Shopping and Past Memories

The next day, the three felines went shopping. Goldith and Alonzo went mainly because they were bored and Teazer went because she had to pick up material for Jenny that she couldn't order through her normal supplier because they either didn't have it or it was too expensive. The three of them were wandering around Manhattan's Golden Row. Teazer's hands were filled with huge shopping bags, most of them filled with bolts of cloth. There were however, several bags that held clothes, shoes, trinkets, and other such things she had bought for herself. She had an addiction to shopping and nice things in general. She made enough that she could live fairly comfortably. But for her, 'comfortably' meant nice clothes and food, rather than a nice place to live. That was the one main reason that she and Goldith didn't live in a nicer place. Goldith was a lawyer and a damn good one at that. But they both reasoned, if they didn't have to spend too much on rent, then they'd be able to have more to spend on other stuff. So as a result, the outside of their apartment was crappy, but the inside was very posh and luxurious.

Alonzo pulled Teazer aside and leaned down to whisper to her as Goldith dashed into a little boutique. "Could you keep her busy for a bit? I need to get her a present. I'm gonna stop in that jewelry store we passed. I love her so much and I'm gonna ask her to marry me." His white face showed his blush as he looked down at his gloved paws.

Teazer squealed and flung her arms around him. "Oh, my gosh! That's great! Yeah, no problem. Leave it to me." She winked at him and kissed him on the cheek as the brown and gold queen emerged from the shop, her ears twinkling merrily.

"Hey, hussy! Get off my tom!" she growled playfully.

"But why, he's so handsome!" Rumple shot back and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck.

Alonzo just laughed and hugged the calico back. "Awe, come on, Gold. I'm such a stud, what can I say? The ladies' love me!" he said cockily.

Goldith started to pout prettily and Alonzo released Teazer. As he hugged her, her pout disappeared and was replaced by a smile. "I guess that's what I get for having such a good-looking tom."

"Damn right, babe!" she glared at him. "But, that doesn't mean that I'm looking elsewhere. You're gorgeous enough for me." And with that, he kissed her hard and leaned her back.

Rumpleteazer started to applaud, and so did several other cats passing by. She whistled. "Yeah, baby!"

The two felines blushed and broke the kiss. As they stood up Alonzo slipped his arm away from her. "Hate to do this, ladies, but I gotta get going." He kissed Goldith again and winked at Teazer. "I got gifts to get."

"But, but, I," Goldith started to protest, but Rumple grabbed her by the arm.

"Come on. There are still several places I have to go to. I need to get that special silk that's only sold at Bergdorf's." she slipped her bag-laden arm through her friends' as they pushed their way through the crowd. "It's not that bad." She consoled her friend. "Did you ever consider that he was getting you a gift? How could he shop for you if you're with him?"

She looked sheepish. "I guess I didn't think of that. But you don't understand, I don't like being away from him! You don't have anyone to miss!" she immediately regretted her words when she saw the look on Teazer's pretty face. "Oh, honey, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry, ok?"

Teaze looked down at the sidewalk as she adjusted her pants. She sighed. "It's ok, really. I mean, it was three and a half years ago! I can't dwell on it forever… But I still kinda miss him during the holiday times. They just hold too many memories…" she let her voice fade as a flood of memories returned to haunt her. She could still see his face, all laughter and ice. He had proposed to her four Christmas's ago. She'd accepted and they'd set a date. But then, several months later, she'd caught him cheating on her with a couple of the queens she worked with. He then dumped her and left for Europe. He hadn't heard from him since. They'd gone out for two years before he popped the question. She had loved him, and thought that he loved her. Maybe he had, at the beginning, but like too many nice things, it didn't last. Since then, she hadn't had any steady relationship. There had several flings and even two relationships that had lasted two weeks at most. She didn't want to get hurt again. She shook her head to clear the thoughts and smiled at her friend. Goldith didn't mean to bring it up, that's just how she was.

Right then they came upon Bergdorf's. Teazer grabbed Goldith's hand. "There it is! The last store! Come on." She pulled her friend into the store.

"Hello, may I help you?" came a smooth voice.

The two queens looked up from a rack at the queen who had spoken. Her tag said 'Holly.' "Hi. Yes, I'm looking for two bolts of the Californian Silk, one bolt each of the light blue cotton, white fur trim, and red taffeta, and then one bolt of white satin."

Holly nodded and briskly hurried to the back of the store to grab the material.

"Hey, Teazer! Come here. Look at this price!" Goldith called. She was fingering a length of the Californian Silk.

Teazer went over. "What? How much is it?" A wide-eyed Goldith turned the tag over and Teazer could plainly see $34/yd. on the tag. It wasn't really that expensive. She'd seen more. Besides, it would be part of her present to Aunt Jenny. "Ok, I've seen stuff more expensive." She said dismissively and headed back to the counter where the salesqueen was waiting patiently.

"Can I get you anything else, Miss?" Holly asked politely.

Rumpleteazer pulled out her credit card and shook her head. "Nope. That's it, thank you. Here." As she handed over her card, she saw the shocked look on the brown queen's face.

As they left, Goldith spoke in a low voice. "Are you sure you want to spend that much on fabric?"

Teazer rolled her eyes. "Goldith! It's part of my Christmas present to Jennyanydots. She's done a lot for me and I'm getting her something special. The other material she specifically requested. I faintly remember her looking at a dress made of the Californian Silk. She mentioned something about wanting some of that material. When I got older, I was able to figure out what it was and so now, I'll give the silk to her. Besides, remember my sketch that you like so much?"

Goldith nodded.

"I'm gonna make it for you to wear to the show. Merry early Christmas." She finished.

A gasp escaped her mouth as she proceeded to wrap her friend up in the biggest hug ever. "Oh, my, gosh! Really! I love you!"

"I though you loved me?" a new voice sounded behind them, sounding a little hurt.

The two friends turned to see Alonzo with his paws tucked in the pockets of his leather car hart (jacket). He had a small bag hanging from his arm.

A huge smile lit up Goldith's face as she leapt at her tomfriend who caught her and kissed him soundly. "Of course I love you, Alonzo. But Teazer said she'll make me the dress that I've always wanted!"

The black and white tom smiled at his queenfriend's enthusiasm. It was just one of the many qualities that he loved about her. "Ahh, of course. Never try to break up the relationship queens have with clothing." He said knowingly.

Teazer stuck her little pink tongue out at him and shifted the weight in her many bags. "Come on, let's go back. I'm hungry, cold, and tired."

"Actually, let's not." Alonzo stopped her. "I know of a nice little café about two blocks from here and I'll treat you two lovely ladies to lunch." He proposed charmingly as he put a long muscular arm around them.

Rumple and Goldith exchanged looks and rolled their eyes.

"Are you sure, honey?" Goldith asked.

"Of course! I feel great. And… I did promise to make up for that finished bottle of wine last night." He propelled the unresisting queens in the direction of the café.

It was a snug little place set in between two tall buildings. It had two stories and as they entered, the smell of brewing coffee and fresh bread teased their senses. There was a staircase near the back that led up to the 2nd floor. Once on the second level, they found that there were several medium sized rooms attached together and filled with couches and coffee tables. It even had a little balcony with tables for patrons to sit and enjoy the sights and sounds of the city. The middle of the largest room was cut away and surrounded by a metal railing. The cut away revealed a view of the main floor. It had a very homey atmosphere.

"Alright, ladies, what's your fare?" Alonzo asked as they studied the menu.

"Um… I'll take the club sandwich, apple pie, and a mocha latte." Goldith said after a bit.

Teazer took a little longer. Everything looked so good. "And I'll take one of those maple-walnut scones, a ham-and-cheese wrap, and a peppermint-mocha cappuccino." She couldn't resist the smell of the scones. They looked like they were fresh, too. "'ey, Lonzo, me and Goldith'll find a place to sit." She called as the two of them took off for the stairs, bags in tow. It took them a bit to get up the stairs seeing as they had tons of bags. But they made it up to the top and looked around. In the main room they found a couch and a chair beside a coffee table. Teazer took the chair and Goldith took the couch, making sure to leave room for Alonzo.

"Uuuhhh. These heels are killing me!" Goldith moaned as she slipped them off and curled her feet up on the seat.

Teazer sank into the plush chair and crossed her legs. "I told you to wear sneakers, but did you listen? Nnnooo. You just had to wear your brand spanking new leather Carlo heels. I have no sympathy for you at all." She laughed at the sour look shot her way. She'd come prepared wearing jeans that hugged her slim legs, walking shoes, a double-layer short/long sleeve shirt, wool coat, and a matching scarf/hat set. Goldith had insisted on wearing her new heels, dress pants, and a slinky top. Luckily she'd managed to convince her friend to take her jacket.

"Ok, ladies! I have a mocha latte with a club sandwich and apple pie, a-la-mode; and a peppermint-mocha cappuccino with a wrap and a maple-walnut scone on the side. Here you are." Alonzo announced as he showed up juggling two trays loaded with food and a cup holder. He managed to set everything down on the table without spilling anything. He then set his own small bag down and settled himself beside his queen.

Teazer reached for her coffee and held it up. "A toast. To holiday fun and friends."

The other two did the same thing and said in unison, "To holiday fun and friends."

Then they all touched cups and drank.

"Tomorrow, we leave for Cattail."

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Whatcha think?


	5. Road Trip

Chapter 3: Road Trip

"…two turtle-doves and a partridge in a pear tree…" rang out the three voices of Rumpleteazer, Goldith, and Alonzo as the truck zoomed down the highway. Teazer was driving and snuggled together in the roomy back seat sat Alonzo and Goldith. They had packed up the bed of Teazer's truck and had been driving for about an hour. Normally, they would have been able to fit everything in the truck itself, but Teazer had to transport the material and she'd insisted on packing her portable drafting table and lamps. Not to mention her sewing machine and all its accessories. "Hey, if I'm gonna be here, why not work? I can get a start on next year's line." She reasoned. Her friends just shrugged and let her. Hell, it was her truck. So there they were, belting out Christmas carols along with the radio, and sharing a thermos of spiced cider. Goldith had opted for spiced wine, but both Rumpleteazer and Alonzo voted her down. Neither of them wanted to be drunk when they arrived and Teazer was driving. So it was spiced cider. There would be plenty of opportunity for spiced wine when they got there.

Alonzo sat up in his seat just as 'White Christmas' came on the air. "Hey, turn it up Teazer! This is the best song ever." Teazer obliged and soon the smooth voice of Bing Crosby floated through the speakers. Alonzo stared singing along in a nice baritone voice. "…just like the ones I used to know." The two queens quieted down and listened.

"I'm tired. That song always makes me sleepy." Goldith yawned as she snuggled against Alonzo's chest.

A snort came from the driver's seat. "If you actually _slept_ at night, you wouldn't be so tired. You guys were so loud I had to plug in to my ipod. But if you want to take a nap, go ahead. I can guarantee that when we get there, Jenny is gonna have arranged a big dinner or party, or something like that. She was always one for lots of trimmings. And especially since I'm coming back after so long." She flicked on the truck's blinker and switched lanes.

"How long has it been since you were last there?" asked Alonzo from the back seat. Goldith had fallen asleep against his chest and he wrapped an arm around her and his paw was absentmindedly playing with her light brown hair.

Teazer swung her head around to scan traffic before she answered. "I honestly don't know. When my parents divorced and then mom died, I'd go and spend summers over there with Jenny. The rest of the time, I lived with Goldith and her family. That's why we're so close. Poppylou and Marlon unofficially 'adopted' me into the family. So I've basically come to see them as 'mom' and 'dad.' But, then, I stopped going to Cattail a long time ago. She's been asking me to come for a visit about every other year since then. I just haven't felt like going. But now, it feels right, and it worked out." She gave a quiet giggle. Ever since they'd left NYC, she had had a feeling of security and comfort. She vaguely remembered her dream from two nights ago and wondered what it meant and who sent it.

"I didn't know. I mean, about your parents. Goldith never told me." Alonzo said when she was finished.

"Bast, forget it. I'm not bitter about it. I miss my real mom, but I never knew my dad."

Alonzo just stared at her.

By this time, it had been almost three hours and they came to a sign and it read:

Cattail: Next right

Furray: Next two exits

"Well, soon we'll be there." Teazer glanced back at Goldith. "You might want to wake her up now. You know it takes her forever to wake up."

Alonzo leaned over to her pointed ear and kissed it. "Hey, love, time to wake up. We're almost there." She mumbled and stirred.

"Huh? Wha? Who?" she stretched. She opened her eyes and found a pair of green ones staring at her. "Oh! Hello, handsome. Are we there?" He laughed and nuzzled her.

"Not yet. But almost. Teazer's taking the exit now."

True enough, Teazer switched on her turn signal and swung onto the off-ramp. As the truck slowed down, she looked around. "This is Quarry. Cattail is just outside this. It'll be about 15 more min."

Teazer, Alonzo, and Goldith who was now awake sat and silently watched the scenery pass before them. Soon they came to a sign that read:

Welcome to Cattail.

Pop: 236 7 8 9

"Huh. I guess the mayor is too lazy to fix the sign." Teazer laughed as she rolled past the sign. She looked around at the buildings she used to visit. Things looked so different. With the though of trying to find Aunt Jennyanydots on her mind, she maneuvered her truck into the town that she used to call home. As soon as she saw it, something inside of her sighed and she felt a voice in her head say, _'It feels good to be back.'_

Meanwhile, not too far away…

_Ruby red lips curved into a smile. Yes, she was home at last. The shadowed queen moved over to a high-set window and poked at it. As it opened, warm sunlight spilled into the dreary attic of the three-story house on the end of Apple St. still swathed in shadows, she opened a hidden cupboard and withdrew a large flask and a small jar filled with some light green clippings. She went to a mirror and waved her white paw over it as she muttered quietly. Her other paw picked up a few clippings and held them to her nose. Soon the reflective surface melted away to reveal Rumpleteazer in her truck. The only difference were the rich clothes that adorned her slim form. Keller smiled to herself as she closed the window. She shed the black cloak to reveal jet black fur, white paws and odd-shaped white patches that almost looked like stars on her body. Well, the time wasn't right. She would leave everything for now. It wasn't time for them to know. _

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_A/N: To forstall questions and/or flames, Keller is suppose to be Mary-Sueish with her color. Let me know what you think._


	6. Cattail, Aunt Jenny, and More Memories

Hello, hello! Here is the next installment of "Holiday Love." Enjoy!

-Purrs, Anglina

**broadwaybuff:** thank you for your devotion. (smiles)

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Chapter 4: Cattail, Aunt Jennyanydots, and More Memories

Rumpleteazer drove the truck down streets, looking for something.

The town was quite quaint. At the entrance to town sat the city hall building and next it was the police station and the small jail. A little way down there was a pond surrounded by trimmed grass and there were ducks all around it. And right beside it was a huge gnarled oak. The tree had what looked to be a rope swing attached. From the pond four roads branched out. To the right was Main Street which housed a supermarket, drugstore, pub, a tailor /clothing shop, an outlet/appliance store, a café/coffee shop, an antique shop, and a beauty parlor. To the left on Star Street lay the church, library, a car garage, real estate office, and the school. The other two roads, Grove and Apple appeared to be residential.

There was a row of fairly neat houses on either side of the two streets. While some of the houses were neat, there were some that had junk all around them. Some had Christmas lights and others didn't. At the end of Apple Street was a large house surrounded by a metal fence. It was overgrown and looked to be decomposing. Teazer remembered it being there when she was little and she would sneak over to it and stare at it through the holes in the fence. Once she had even dared to go inside the fence. Needless to say, she never set foot beyond the fence again.

Rumpleteazer drove the truck down Apple Street and started slowly scanning the house numbers. "Ah-ha! Found it, number 12621 on Apple." She pulled into the driveway. It was a simple two story blue and white house with light yellow curtains and a covered veranda. She pulled into the driveway and got out. She dashed up to the house and pounded on the door. "Hey, Aunt Jenny, it's me, I'm here!" no answer. She peered into the windows and didn't see anybody. She walked back to the car, heeled boots clicking on the cement.

"Is she there?" Goldith called, sticking her head out the passenger window.

Teazer shook her head. "Nope. I guess we'll have to swing by the store. Come on, let's go." She climbed back in the truck and Goldith pulled her head in as well. Teazer backed the truck out of the driveway, drove to the end of the street and turned around. As she came back to the center pond, she took a left onto Main Street and cruised down past the café, beauty parlor, and came to a rest in front of a fairly good-sized store front. The sign above the door read:

Cattail Clothing and Tailor

You want it, we got; if not, we'll make it.

Jennyanydots, Owner

Teazer smiled and hopped out of the car straightening her skirt as she did so. "Come on you lazy cats! Let's go. If Aunt Jenny's not at home, then she'll be here." She skipped up to the door, two friends in tow. She pushed open the door and looked around. Behind there was a bank of windows, which housed mannequins wearing winter clothes. It was fairly large inside. There were circular racks with clothes hanging from them. There were also racks along the walls. Near the back was where all the material and sewing supplies and accessories were kept. Off to the right was a large counter. It had cash register on the left side and covering the rest of it was a cardboard measuring template. Behind it and off to the right was the ribbons and button collections. The store was well organized, clean, and bright. There, waiting at the counter was an orange and white striped queen. Teazer walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me,"

The queen turned around and looked startled. "Yes my dear?"

"Um, do you know where Aunt Jenny is?" she asked hesitantly. She'd never been called 'my dear' and she was bit taken aback. There was also something about the queen in front of her that was familiar and frightening at the same time, something that she couldn't understand.

The older queen smiled thinly and replied, "Aunt Jenny? Oh, you must be Rumpleteazer. You've grown up so much since you were last here. Jenny has talked of nothing else for the past two days. My name's Jellylorum, by the way. Jennyanydots is my best friend. She's in the back getting me some more thread." She continued to stare at the younger queen in front of her. Something about her struck a chord and a memory. _A church… and a lightning flash…_ the memory disappeared and Jellylorum blinked. Teazer was stunned.

"You remember me from way back then? It's been over 10 years. I certainly don't remember you." she shook her head and a lock of blonde hair slipped. She pushed it back impatiently and shifted from foot to foot. She didn't remember, but… she did remember. _Blue lightning… and a shriek._ The effect left her with a small headache and questions. Questions that she couldn't answer.

"All right Jellylorum, I have the yellow you asked for, but as for the cotton, you'll have to wait until…" a rather large queen came bustling out of the back storerooms talking all the way until she reached the counter. She had tiger stripes and leopard spots and a cheerful voice. She noticed Rumpleteazer and two more cats not far behind her. She stopped and dumped the stuff on the counter. "Rumpleteazer! My darling niece! Finally, how are you? You've grown up so much, I hardly recognize you! Come here, don't just stand there. Give your Aunt Jenny a hug." She came out from behind the counter and enveloped Teazer into a huge hug. Rumple returned the hug.

"It's good to see you too. I'm really sorry it took me over ten years to come back and visit. Oh, by the way," she motioned for Goldith and Alonzo to step forward. "This is my best friend, Goldith and her tomfriend, Alonzo. Guys, this is my Aunt Jenny."

Goldith came up to Jenny and gave her a hug. "It's good to finally meet you, Jenny. This is Alonzo." She let go of the striped queen and grabbed the black and white tom's arm.

He smiled and then looked as if he wasn't sure of what to do. Jenny fixed that and hugged him too. He looked a bit startled, but hugged her back.

"All right, Tea and friends, let me finish with Jellylorum and then we'll chat. Oh, by the way, Jelly,"

The other queen looked at her.

"You and your family are still coming over tonight, right?" she asked as she rang up the purchases.

Jellylorum nodded and gathered up her stuff. "Of course, I wouldn't miss it. Oh, it'll just be the kids and me. Bustopher is out of town. Is 7 ok?" even as she said that, a feeling of trepidation came over her. For what, she didn't know.

"Sure, and be sure to bring the pudding!" Jenny called as her friend went out the door. "Well, how was your trip? Are you guys hungry or thirsty?"

Teazer laughed. "No Aunt Jenny. We're fine and our trip was fine. Oh, I've got the material and something special. Hey guys, can you give me a hand?" she saw Jenny start to move. "Oh, wait here, Jenny. It's a surprise!" she dashed out to the truck and lifted the lid. Soon Goldith and Alonzo joined her. With Teazer standing in the bed of the truck handing the bags down to Goldith who handed them to Alonzo, they got them all out. And for two of them it was special because with every bag handed over, Goldith got a kiss. Teazer handed down the last bag and laughed. "Ok, ok. Save it for the bedroom. You guys make me sick."

"Hey, hey, look who's talking, Miss Suckface. You were the same way when you were dating Reaper." Goldith chided, gently. Rumpleteazer stuck her tongue out and then frowned.

"Yeah, but please don't bring him up again. I, I can't handle it. Maybe I'll be able to eventually. Hell, I'll have to if I ever want to get into a new relationship. But I don't want to deal with it around the holidays." But Goldith wouldn't give it up.

"But what if you meet a tom during the holiday's that sets your heart a flutter? Then what are you gonna do?" she folded her sweater clad arm over her chest. "I mean, really, are you say to him, 'Hey babe, I think you're cute, but I've had a bad relationship and don't want to deal with it over the holiday's. Can I take a rain-check until after New Year's? 'Cause you see, I can't have a relationship until I get over my old one.' Honey, I really-"

"Stop it! Stop it, Goldith! It's not funny. I can't help it I'm slow to recover. I don't want to talk about it again. If I do meet someone, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." Teazer picked up some bags and stalked inside, ignoring the worried looks directed at her by Alonzo and Goldith.

"I don't understand her!" Goldith threw her paws in the air. "She needs to give it up. Yes, he was a bastard, but really!"

Alonzo shifted nervously. He didn't like to be around queens when they fought. He picked up a few bags and said nervously,

"Um, Love, I think you should leave her alone. I know you're my queen-friend, but this time I'm siding with Teazer. Different queens take longer to get over some things than others. It took my sister three years to get over her fiancée. I think you should just leave her alone. If you keep bringing it up, it'll just make her repress the feelings more. She'll deal with them when she's ready or when someone touches her heart."

Goldith just stared at her tom. That was the smartest thing that had ever come out of his talented mouth. Oh yes, it was a very talented mouth. She remembered him taking about his 27 year old sister and how much hell she'd gone through.

"I really didn't mean for it to come out sounding so rude. I guess I have to and apologize now."

Alonzo chuckled. "You guess? Hell, I'm a tom and even I know when the line is crossed." That earned him a glare from the gold and brown queen.

Goldith sighed and picked up the remaining bags and pushed the door in. "Here are the rest of the bags, Jenny."

The two queens looked up and then Teazer looked away.

"Teaze, I need to talk to you. Now."

"Fine. What do you want to say? Do you want to tell me more about how to live my fucked up life?" she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Rumpleteazer! Watch your mouth, young lady." Jennyanydots scolded.

"I'm sorry I said that stuff. I know you're still hurting and, I, um, should be the one to judge you. I shouldn't have said that stuff. I know you'll deal with it when you're ready. But one more thing… don't let the perfect tom go by just because you're stewing over him. Again, I'm sorry. I don't know if this means anything, but I am there for you and so is Alonzo." She smiled hesitantly.

Teazer sighed. She knew Goldith was right, even though it hurt. She also knew that her friend didn't really mean it.

"It's ok, Gold. Really. I know you didn't mean to say that stuff. I also know that it's true. I'm not mad at you," she smiled crookedly. "I never could stay mad at you for too long. I will deal with it… eventually." She went to her friend and engulfed her in a hug. It was then that she remembered the material.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I almost forgot the material. Aunt Jenny, I brought you all the material you asked for and…" her blue eyes sparkled. "something you've always wanted." She went over to one of the bags that Alonzo had brought in. "Close your eyes." She reached in and pulled out the bolt of California Silk. She held it in her paws and walked over to Jenny. "Ok, open your eyes."

Jenny opened her eyes and her mouth dropped. There, in front of her was a bolt of silk. It was the most beautiful stuff she'd ever seen.

"Rumple… I don't know what to say. This, is this…"

Teazer laughed and said as she pushed the material into her aunt's paws, "Yes, Aunt Jennyanydots, this is a complete bolt of California Silk. I had a memory of you admiring a dress made of it and so I bought you a bolt. I was going ta save it and wrap it up, but I figured I'd let you have it now. Merry Christmas."

"Oh, dearie… you didn't have to. It must have been quite expensive." Jenny tried to tell her, but one could plainly see the happiness in her green eyes.

Teazer came up to her aunt and hugged her. "Like I said, Merry early Christmas. And don't worry about the cost, I can afford it."

Jenny still looked uncertain, but smiled.

"Ok, dearie, if you say so. You were always one to get your own way. Oh, you probably want to unpack and settle down. Jellylorum and her son and daughter are coming over tonight for dinner. We have it every week. You'll like her son. He's real nice and quite good-looking." She winked at Teazer, who blushed.

"I don't really need you to set me up, Aunt Jenny. I'm, I'm not really to get into a relationship. And no," she stopped, seeing the expression on Jenny's face. "I don't want to talk about it. Let's just say that I made a complete fool of myself and I'm not quite recovered. But if it makes you feel better, I'll be nice to him. I guess I need to start learning to trust toms again."

Jenny looked at her watch. "Oh, my! It's getting late. I need to close up shop and get you three home. You'll want to unpack and freshen up for dinner, I'm sure. Tonight it'll just be a small affair. You three, me, Skimbleshanks, Jellylorum, and her two kids, Mungojerrie and Jemima." While she talked, she hurried around the store, packing things up. "Hey, Goldith, could you be a dear and close the blinds?"

Goldith nodded and did so.

"Ok my dears. Everything is done and locked up." She said cheerfully as they left the store. "Let's go home."

"Um, Jenny, do you want a ride? I've got my truck." Teazer pointed at the purple vehicle.

"Sure. It's better than walking." She commented as she climbed in the front seat.

Teazer started the car and drove down the street towards Jenny's house. As they drove down the long street, most of the houses were lit up. The only big exception was the house at the end of the street. There was nothing cheery about the house and yet, a feeling of familiarity washed over Teazer as she looked at. When they got to the house, she was surprised to see Christmas lights part-way up. Then she saw an orange-marmalade tom climbing a ladder. It was Uncle Skimbleshanks, Aunt Jenny's husband. Teazer pulled the truck up to the curb and put it into park. "I didn't know uncle Skimble was home, Jenny. We came by earlier and nobody answered the door."

Jennyanydots got out of the car and waved her paw.

"Oh, he was home. He was probably out in the back. He has the next three days off and then he's got to go back to work on his trains. He's now the train manager." She said with pride. "Skimble! Look who's here!"

Skimble came down the ladder and grabbed Teazer up in a big hug. "Hi lassie! How have ye been? We've missed ye so much."

She laughed and returned the hug. "I've missed you too Uncle Skimble. I'm sorry I haven't come to visit. I've been really busy. Work keeps me on my feet."

"Good to hear, good to hear. Speaking of hearing, yer aunt tell me you've got a show coming up." He released her and climbed back up the ladder. "Be a love and pick up that end of the light string. Got to get these lights up b'fore Christmas. There's a good lass."

"Oh, Rumpleteazer, dear, just bring in your stuff. Do you need any help?" Jenny called from the porch.

"Nope. I'm fine. Alonzo will help me with my drafting table tomorrow. Can I set it up in your shop?" she asked as she drug out several bags from the bed of the truck and drug them inside.

The inside of Jenny's home was designed to be comfortable, not stylish like Teazer's apartment. From the entryway, to the right was the living room with a connecting door to the kitchen. To the left lay the bathroom and the dining room. There was a staircase which led upstairs as it wound around the wall. Beside it was a hallway which led to the roomy kitchen. The three cats followed Jenny upstairs.

"All right dears, Teazer, we've kept your old room, so you can have that. Alonzo and Goldith… you can have the guestroom. I'm going to start dinner. Dinner is at 7." With that said, she retreated to the kitchen.

"I'm gonna head out to bring more stuff in." Alonzo called over his shoulder as Teazer wandered to her room. It was almost the same as she remembered it. The only difference was that the comforter was missing. That was ok. Teazer had brought her own stuff. She went over to the window and opened it. She leaned out and saw Alonzo trying to lift something. "Yo! Alonzo! Don't bring in the drafting table!" she yelled out the window just as a car pulled by. She looked up just to see it continue on down the street and disappear from view. She pulled her body in and closed the blinds. She needed to change out of her skirt and top. She and Goldith had bought a couple of lovely dresses yesterday and Teazer figured it would be the perfect thing to wear tonight. She always liked to make a statement with her clothing. She pulled out the filmy blue dress and looked at her watch. 6:30. Good. She had time to take a quick shower and then change for dinner.

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Like it? Hate it? LET ME KNOW!


	7. Car Talk and Cold Beers

**Well... here is the next chapter. I was very reluctent to post this chapter because I haven't gotten any new reviews. Thank you to _broadwaybuff_ for reviewing. I mean really... the story has gotten over 100 hits since yesterday and did I get any other reviews? NO. Even if you people don't review my other works (which you should) this is one story that I really need feedback on. Is that too much to ask? Appearently it is. **

**Anyways... enjoy.**

-Anglina

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Chapter 5: Car Talk and Cold Beers

"Well? Come on! what's wrong?" Rum Tum Tugger wasn't a very patient tom. especially about his cars.

"You're gonna have ta give it a rest-" came a muffled voice from underneath the belly of a red 1964 mustang. Shortly a built calico tom pushed himself out and looked up at the tom in front of him.

"But I can't!" whined the handsome maned tom.

"Look, you're gonna have ta trust me on this one. I couldn't care less if you had the president's lovely daughter in the car. You've got ta be more careful with your car." He stood up and brushed off his oil-splattered jeans. "I still can't believe that this is the 5th time in the past month that it's bottomed out. Another couple more times and you'll be singing for a new car, not queens." He walked tiredly over to the counter and pushed a button. The car he'd been working on slowly lowered to the ground. "For all that, you know the price by now, $250."

The other tom huffed, fluffed his mane, and pulled out his wallet. "Here, you need to stop putting in hours, man. We gotta get you a girl. I know, Bombalurina could get you one of her-"

The calico held up a calloused paw as he put the money in the cash register.

"Look, I'm not interested in one of her girls. I know what they're like. You've been trying to set me up ever since I got back from school two years ago. I don't want it, too much hassle. Hell, I see it every night with you and her in the bar. I know it works for you, but," he smirked and rolled his eyes as a receipt printed itself out. "it doesn't appeal to me. When I find the perfect queen, I'm sure I'll know. Now, I have to go. 'spose ta go to dinner with mum and Jemima at Jenny's. Again. 'sposedly it's some big occasion." The dinner's at his mum's friend's house was a weekly affair.

The maned tom laughed. "So you gonna meet us at the bar when it's over?"

He nodded.

"If I can get away. I really need a stiff drink."

"See ya, my man. I'll get my car later." With that, the Rum Tum Tugger sauntered out of the garage and ambled down Star Street.

Mungojerrie watched his friend go and shook his head. He grinned. Tugger was an accident waiting to happen. He looked around the pit he called home five days a week. He ran his paws through his short black hair. He was tall at 5'10" and well muscled. He'd have to be physically fit to work with heavy car parts. He had piercing green eyes and a handsome face with an engaging smile. If he felt like giving it. He wasn't as good-looking as Tugger, but if he wished, he could get a bed-warmer. At 25, he was almost the owner of Cattail's only auto-shop. The real owner was always away on stuff other than business and so for the past year and a half, Mungo had taken over the shop. He was the one who went over new shipments and ordered new parts and dealt with difficult customers.

He'd been back here in Cattail with his mom and sister for about two years after he'd graduated with a degree in Auto Manufacturing. He had wanted to open up his own shop elsewhere, but when he arrived home, they'd needed a mechanic and so he'd signed on. The owner had stayed around for a while to make sure that he knew what he was doing and then, finding Mungojerrie proficient enough, had taken off to who-knows-where. Nobody had seen or heard from the owner since then. And that was just fine with Mungo. He had grown fairly attached to the dump and had done his best to turn it into a more respectable place. However, it was hard to run it by his lonely self and so he'd hired on Pouncival. The young tom was a handful to deal with, but he was good and a fast learner. The tom's only real vice was that he'd spend all his breaks over at the hair salon where Electra worked. Mungo smiled as he took the cleaning cloth to the counter.

"Hey, Pounce!"

"Yeah?" a voice floated over from the other side of the garage. Soon a white and brown striped tom in a faded t-shirt and grass-stained jeans scooted over to his boss. His longish brown hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail. "What's up? It time to close?"

Mungo nodded and looked at the tom.

"Is the transmission giving you any trouble on Admetus' car?" he asked.

Pouncival shook his head quickly.

"Not now. It was earlier. Some of the parts wouldn't fit together, but then I realized I didn't tighten the screw enough. It's fine now."

"Good. How's everything else going? Any other problems?" Mungo wanted to know.

"Nope, sir. I drained the antifreeze on Keller's car and it'll be fine tomorrow. Oh, while you were on break, Callyn came by and dropped off those new spark plugs. You weren't here, so I signed for them. The slip's in the office. Do you want me to close?"

Mungo nodded as he threw the rag into the bucket.

"He shoots! He scores!" he pumped his fists into the air. As he lowered his arms, he added, "Yeah, that would be nice if you could. I gotta change for dinner. I'm grabbing a pre-dinner beer and then I'm off. I'll see you tomorrow."

He walked into the small office and pushed aside the chair, revealing a small fridge. He pulled the door open and grabbed a Bud.

"Don't forget to turn on the alarm and the light. I'll check it later to make sure. Got it?" he pointed his finger at the other tom who nodded fervently.

"Good. I'm outta here!" he finished the beer and dropped it into the garbage as he stalked out and towards his car. He peeled out and headed for the café to pick up his sister from her shift as a waitress. He parked the car and got out. As he pushed the door open, a little bell tinkled above him and he entered the Moon Café. Owned by Rum Tum Tugger and home to the best maple-walnut scones around.

"Jerrie!" cried a voice.

He turned around just in time to catch his exuberant sister, Jemima as she hugged him.

"Hey, watch it. I've got grease all over me." But he was laughing as he said it. "Ready to head home? Don't forget, we've got to at Jenny's by 7 and it's 6:15."

"Ok, I'm coming. Oh, did you hear?" she called as she headed to the back to clock out and exchange her apron for a coat.

Meanwhile, he sidled up to the counter.

"Hey stranger, what'll you have?" purred a voice.

He looked up to see Etcetera looking at him with big eyes.

"Hey Etcetera. Um… just a cup of coffee, black, in a plastic cup to go." He winked at her and pushed a buck and a half towards here as she blushed.

"No problem, Mungojerrie." She replied as she hurriedly filled a cup.

He continued to make conversation with the petite orange and black striped tabby queen and sipped his coffee. Soon he saw his sister emerge. She wrapped her coat around her back and maroon body. He slung an arm around her shoulders as they left.

"Anyway, apparently, Jenny's niece from NYC is here visiting for the holidays. I haven't seen her, but Keller was in here earlier and told me she noticed an unfamiliar queen entering Cattail Clothing. I wonder what she's like."

Jenny had a niece? Hmm. It was something to think about. Well, if they were going to have dinner there, odds are that he would see her. As he was thinking of this, his mind seemed to space for a minute and in it's place came a few fleeting memories. _A church alter… a queen in white… and a flash of lightning._ And then, the memories vanished. They left him, however, with a headache. The two siblings got into the car and Jerrie pulled out into the street and drove home in silence. As they cruised down Grove St. and pulled into a two-story yellow house, his mind wandered to what he thought Jenny's niece might be like. While this wasn't his own home, he spent so much time here, that it was more like an extension of his own. His house was over on Apple. He divided his clothes between here and home. After he let Jemima out, he went to the door and yelled,

"Mum! I'm going home and I'll see you later tonight." Then he left before she could comment. He pulled out and drove down Apple St. as he passed Jennyanydots house, he saw a black and white tom reach into the back of a purple truck and haul out some bags. He then looked up and saw a calico body lean out the upper window and yell,

"Alonzo! Make sure to leave the drafting table!"

The calico looked up and he saw a flurry of short blonde hair and blue eyes. He didn't get a chance to see more because he soon passed the house, when he did see that bit, a memory of a white dress flashed in his mind. He shook his head and continued to drive. Soon he pulled up to his one-story white house. It was as plain as possible. He parked the car and checked his watch, 6:25. Ok, he had approx. 40 minutes. He opened his door and was greeted by his sparse furniture. He lived like any typical bachelor, with as little stuff as possible. As he stood under the shower head, his mind wandered to the blonde-haired calico. Was that Jenny's niece? Oh, well. He'd find out tonight.

Little did he know that it would change his life forever.

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**Oooo... cliff-hanger. You want to know what's going to happen? Don'tcha? However, I've been thinking... before I post the next chapter I need reviews. I'm not going to post it unless I get some reviews. Yes, I know that's petty and juvenile (I've heard it before), but I NEED FEDBACK! But something in the story doesn't make sense to me and I can't put my paw on it and I have to rely on my fellow felines and human fans. But that doesn't seem to be happening... does it? Well... I'll let you felines/people decide. If you want me to finish the story... review. Oh, and when I make my choice, it will either be in a new chapter or up on my profile. I don't care if you flame me or give me a fluff review, just review. BUT... the best reviews are when someone actually has taken the time to throughly analyze it. But, hey, it's up to _you_, the reader.**

-Anglina


	8. Weekly Dinner and Tears

_Sorry for the mix-up. Apparently, I posted chapter 7 twice. Here's the chapter that I forgot to psot. Enjoy! Critique is more than welcome. Everything should kame some more sense, now. _

_-Serendipity Kat_

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Chapter 6: Weekly Dinner and Tears

Mungo pulled on a nice shirt, clean jeans, and ran some gel through his hair as he checked his watch. 6:50. He had 5 minutes to get over the Jenny's house before his mum would start getting impatient. He put a bit of cologne on, grabbed his keys, and headed out the door. He pulled out of his driveway and drove the 15 houses to Jennyanydots' home. As he pulled up, he noticed his mum's car already there. "Shit." He murmured unhappily. His watch said 6:56. According to his mum, he would be late. He rang the doorbell.

"Rumpleteazer, dear, would you get that? My paws are full at the moment." Jenny called from the kitchen. Jellylorum had shown up at 6:40 and insisted on helping. She had also brought Jemima along with her.

Rumpleteazer heard her aunt yelling. She was still upstairs with Goldith fixing her make-up. She tugged a bit on the low neckline of her dress. It was different shades of blue and was similar to Marilyn Monroe's white dress. Alonzo was downstairs entertaining Jemima. Teazer liked Jemima. She was warm and friendly. She also had a fantastic figure and Teazer was hoping that she'd be able to use her for some models. "Hey Goldith, are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm coming. These hairpins are extremely troublesome. I think I'll just leave my hair the way it is." She replied from the guestroom.

"Ok. I'm gonna answer the door. Hurry up!" Teazer called up to Goldith as she descended the stairs. The doorbell continued to chime. "Hold on! I'm coming!" she dashed down the stairs and opened the door. "Can't you wait one-" she started to say, but stopped when she saw the handsome tom at the door. He was tall and muscular. He had dreamy green eyes and black hair. "Hi." It came out as a breathy whisper.

Mungojerrie stared at the queen in front of him. It was like something from a dream. Or a memory; a memory of a white dress… the air hummed faintly. He snapped back to the present. She was much shorter then he and she had pulled back the front part of her short blonde hair and lively blue eyes. She had on a lovely blue dress with a 'V' neck that showed part of her white bib and white heels. The neckline also showed a gentle curve on her chest. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. She looked liken angel in blue. She stared back at him. "Hello. I'm sorry I'm late. I'm Mungojerrie, Jellylorum's son and Jemima's older brother. And who might you be?" he introduced himself when he was able to speak again.

His voice was low and rich. It was dreamy. He looked like something out of a dream. Mungojerrie, she liked it. "I'm Jenny's niece, Rumpleteazer. I'm visiting from NYC." She held out her hand as if to shake, but was surprised when he brought it to his lips. She almost jumped back at the tiny shock that resulted from the contact.

Rumpleteazer, it fit her. She extended her hand and he took it. But what he didn't realize was that he took it and brought it to his mouth. He also wasn't prepared for the tingling sensation that shot up his arm. He felt the air sizzle lightly as he continued to hold on to her paw. He placed a kiss gently on her paw and then released it. The action surprised even him.

She drew her paw away and stepped aside, her eyes were still locked on his. There was something captivating in them that caught her and wouldn't let her go. "Please come in. Jenny'll have my head if you catch a cold because you're standing here staring at me." She turned around and walked towards the dining room.

He watched her walk away, hips and tail swinging and her dress swaying. He stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him. He stuck his keys in the pocket of his leather jacket and shrugged out of it. He didn't see a hook so he took it with him into the dining room. There he saw his sister laughing with a black and white tom, his mum chatting up a storm with Jenny as the two of them bustled in and out of the kitchen and there was Rumpleteazer, corking a bottle of red wine. "Hey Rumpleteazer," she looked up. Her eyes were lovely. "Where can I put my coat?"

She sashayed over. "Oh, silly me. Here." She took his coat and glided over to the closet. She came back and motioned him into the room. "Your sister is old enough to drink, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, she's 22 and I'm 25. What about you?" he crossed his arms and leaned against the counter about a foot from her.

She looked up and was a bit startled when she realized just how close his gorgeous face was. "Oh, I'm 26. I work at Kiara Feline Clothing Company. I'm a fashion designer. You?" she skillfully poured the wine into the eight glasses and balanced them all on a tray. She then picked up the tray and went over the large table and began to set the down. "Hey, Alonzo, don't guzzle the whole thing in one sitting. Also, careful how much you flirt. I don't you to be sleeping on the couch because Goldith doesn't want a drunk and cheating tom in her bed." She flashed a naughty smile at him and in return he flipped her off and continued talking to Jemima.

Mungo laughed and replied. "I work at the car garage. Who's Alonzo and Goldith?"

"Oh, Goldith is my best friend and that," she jerked her head towards the table, "is Alonzo. He's her tomfriend of 9 months. 10, end of December." She set the tray back on the bar and looked at him.

"Oh, he seems like a nice guy. Maybe I'd better tell Jemima that he's taken before she falls for him." He chuckled and went over to them. "Hello, Alonzo, Goldith's tomfriend."

Alonzo glared at Rumple and put on a smile. "Hi. I would say your name, but I don't know it. Your sister is charming."

"I seriously hope you're not hitting on another queen and drunk… or else you get to sleep on the couch." Came a voice full of amusement.

Mungojerrie looked up to see another striking creature enter the room. She was wearing a crème colored dress. It had skinny straps and a fitted waist. It flared out in the skirt and showed off her dark fur.

"Ha! Told ya so!" cried Teazer.

Everybody turned to look at her.

"Well, I told him to stop flirting and drinking or you'd make him sleep on the couch." Teazer said very matter-of-factly. She then saw Alonzo come forward and squeaked as he caught her around the waist. "No! Alonzo stop it! Hehehe…. Stop it! Not funny! Help me somebody!" she squealed as he tickled her. But he was stronger and so her struggles were of no use. She looked pleadingly at Jemima who sat wide-eyed and then at Mungojerrie who was laughing very hard. "Mungojerrie! Help me!" seeing as Alonzo wouldn't stop.

Mungo watched the scene unfold in front of him. It was obvious that the 3 friends engaged in this sort of banter frequently. He was content to just watch, but then Alonzo didn't stop and she looked at him with wide blue eyes. He felt his heart jump a bit and decided to come to her rescue. He made eye contact with Alonzo and then grabbed for her. Alonzo let go of her waist as Mungo caught her. He had no problem catching her. She was very lightweight and he was used to lifting heavy car parts. It ended up so that she was resting her head on his chest with her paws on his shoulders and his paws around her waist. Her tail was swishing slightly. "That better?" he asked trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice as he held her petite frame. When his fur touched hers, it hurt. He thought he heard a voice say _'…too much… too soon…'_ but he couldn't be sure.

Teazer just stood there, trying to catch her breath as she leaned against Mungojerrie's chest. As he caught her, she could feel both power and gentleness in his paws. Never since Reaper had a tom affected her like Mungo had. It had taken Reaper several dates to make her heart flutter like Mungojerrie had in a few chaste touches. But there was something else about him that commanded power. She knew without a doubt that she'd felt it before, but she couldn't place it. It was as if it was in a different lifetime… She looked up at him. "Yes." She breathed. "Much better."

Suddenly, "Ah-hem." Came Jellylorum's voice and the two sprang apart, flushed. "Well, I see everybody is getting along. Rumple, dear, could you please come and help me?" Jellylorum asked stiffly before returning into the kitchen.

She rolled her eyes at Mungojerrie who tried to keep from laughing and followed the older queen into the kitchen. "What did you need Jellylorum?" she asked politely, even though she had a feeling that this wasn't about helping, it was about Mungojerrie. And she didn't want to have this conversation, yet. There was still something about this queen that rubbed her the wrong way. Not only that, Teazer had a feeling that it was mutual. But she was would be charm itself. Just like when she'd deal with an upset colleague.

She didn't answer, but just turned around and began to chop up lettuce into a medium size bowl. She was chopping them a little too violently due to nerves that she didn't realize she had. But there was something about this young queen that she hated. And she didn't know why. The only thing she figured might have anything to do with it was the little bit of memory about a lightning flash and a church. She tried to block these thoughts and focus on her task.

"What do you think of my son?" she finally asked, as calm as she could possibly muster.

Teazer stared. Her mind raced. "Well… he seems nice. I haven't really gotten a chance to get to know him…" she broke off, confused. "I mean… that is, um, not that I want to get to know… I mean I can't… not ready… too soon… but…oh, help." She stammered and the last part came out as a whisper. Her head sunk ashamedly into the comfort of her paws and she tried not to cry. 'What do you think of my son?' It was an innocent enough question, but it left her mind reeling. Yeah he was handsome and strong and kind and he was the kind of tom who queens dream about… but even seemingly perfect cats must have faults. She knew Reaper sure had. Yes, she was definitely attracted to him and thought that the feeling was mutual, but she couldn't make assumptions like that. Stuff like that got her into trouble. She wasn't ready to get involved with another tom yet.

Both queens had stopped what they were doing and stared at the hunched-over calico. Gone was the happy, laughing queen and in her place was an obviously scared and frightened queen. They hadn't expected this kind of reaction. Jenny came over to her and enveloped her into a loving hug.

"What's wrong sweetie? She didn't mean to make you cry. It was just that you two were staring at each other so intently that she thought you might burn holes in each other. You find him attractive, don't you?" she asked gently, rocking Rumple back and forth.

She leaned back against her aunt and nodded slowly. "Yes, I do, but I can't. I just can't. Not now, it's too soon."

The two queens exchanged knowing looks. "Why? Why is it too soon? What happened, Rumple, dear?" Jenny asked again.

Teazer just shook her head. She couldn't tell them! She didn't want their sympathy. Goldith had been bad enough, but at least her sympathy was easier to deal with. She didn't want her aunt and another queen who she just met, whose son she found attractive, fussing over her. She shook her head again and raced out of the kitchen, past the startled cats and up the stairs to her room. She couldn't deal with this right now.

Goldith was sitting on Alonzo's lap, laughing at something that Mungojerrie was saying when suddenly Teazer came bursting out of the kitchen and dashed up the stairs. Goldith saw a few tears on her cheeks as she passed. She sighed and leaned down to Alonzo. "I'll be back." She got up and looked towards the kitchen. She glared at an open-mouthed Jellylorum and followed her friend.

Jemima and Mungojerrie were stunned, Jenny was concerned, Jellylorum was shocked, and Alonzo sighed.

"She'll be back." Everybody looked at him. He started to fidget. "I mean Goldith will take care of everything. The two of them will be down later."

Jelly stared, pursed her lips together, and retreated back into the kitchen, a blank look on her face.

Jenny went over to Mungojerrie and leaned down. "She's hurting badly. Be careful, very careful." With that she returned to the kitchen and let the swinging door rock behind her.

Mungojerrie just stared straight ahead fists clenched in front of him. Yes, he was attracted to her, but there was something holding him back. And he wasn't sure if it came from him or her. He didn't know what his mother had said to her, but it made him mad, dammit! He suddenly became very angry with this queen who he used to call mum.

"Alonzo?" called a soft voice.

Alonzo got up and went over to the stairs and saw Goldith at the top. "Yeah?"

"Could bring a pitcher of ice water and two glasses? And some chocolate?" she asked pleadingly.

Alonzo cocked his head in confusion. Whenever one of the girls was having a crying session, the other would bring in ice water. But what confused him was the chocolate. They never had that unless it was very, very serious. He'd only known two other times when there had been chocolate involved: when Reaper had broken up with her and when Goldith had thought that she wasn't going to get an important case. He only knew the first one as having been warned not to bring up the bastard tom's name unless Teazer did. But now, if Goldith was requesting chocolate, then something must seriously be wrong. But then he nodded and like a good tomfriend, headed off to do her bidding without comment. (Everybody now: AWWWWW!) When he entered the kitchen, the conversation stopped. He looked at Jenny and Jelly and headed to the cupboard. "Hey, Jenny, do you have any chocolate?" he asked as he looked for a pitcher. He found one and set it under the water dispenser and the punched the buttons for water and ice.

"Yeah, there's some chocolate hearts above your head and to the right on the second shelf. But why?" she asked as she poured dressing on the nearly finished salad.

"It's just something the girls do when one is upset. But if they need the chocolate, then it's really bad." He grabbed the goods and walked out. Jellylorum didn't meet his eye. He passed the other two guests who looked a bit uncomfortable and headed to the top of the stairs where he was met by Goldith who reached for the goodies. "Here you go. Is there anything else I can do?" Alonzo asked.

She gave a small smile and kissed him. "Thank you and no. This is something just for queens." She turned back to Teazer's bedroom, but spun around again. "Actually, you can tell them that I don't think she'll eat tonight. If in an hour or so, and she's still bad, I'm taking her out." With that she turned back into the bedroom and shut the door.

Alonzo heard a small click and a thump. He knew it meant that the door was locked and barricaded. He went back down and sat down at the now silent table. "Hey, everything will be fine! My queen'll fix her up. The girls are safe and right now," he said as cheerfully as he could muster, "there is some wonderful looking food that needs to be devoured. Gotta have strength for unloading the drafting table tomorrow."

Jenny and Jelly both entered the room at that time and Jenny laughed. "Oh, come on Alonzo. You're not moving the table tonight. There'll always be breakfast."

There was a scattering of laughter.

"Hey, don't knock it. I gotta keep up my strength and my good looks." He said smugly as he flexed a muscle. By then everybody was laughing.

Meanwhile…

Goldith tried to hold the water, two glasses, and a bag of chocolate hearts in one paw as she locked and blocked the door. Now they wouldn't be disturbed. She still didn't fully know what was going on, but she had an idea. She'd had "the talk" with potential tomfriends' moms.

Teazer had pulled the pillows off her bed and was sobbing into them on the floor. She didn't know what was wrong with her. All Jellylorum did was ask one measly question! Why was she acting so stupid? The others probably thought she was a big baby. 'Stop it!' she tried to tell herself. Reaper used to make degrading comments to and about her and she had let them stay in her head but it was only when she was really depressed that her mind started them up again. She jerked a bit when she felt a touch on her shoulder. She looked up to see Goldith sitting beside her with two glasses of cold water and what looked to be chocolate. She perked up a bit at that. Whenever one of them was really messed up emotionally, the other would bring chocolate and water.

Wordlessly the brown queen handed her best friend a piece of the chocolate. "Did Jellylorum say something to you sweetie?" she asked gently and handed Teazer the glass of water.

Teazer felt the soft brown chocolate melt on her tongue and shakily accepted the glass of water. She couldn't find the words to talk so she just nodded her head. She took several nervous sips and set the glass down. Her paw reached for another chocolate. Even though the water made her feel a bit better, she still wasn't sure she could talk without crying. 'Thank Bast for Goldith.' Her friend helped her to keep her sanity… or at least enough for her to function with some sense of dignity. She reached for another piece of chocolate and she saw Goldith smile. She picked up the glass and took another sip.

"I swear! Chocolate should be a prescription." Goldith laughed.

Teazer looked at her quizzically.

Goldith gestured to her paws and said gently, "Look. After 3 pieces, your paws aren't shaking and you aren't crying anymore. Are you ready to talk?"

Rumpleteazer looked around her room and her eyes rested briefly on the barred door. She smiled a little and ate another piece of chocolate. "Yes." She whispered softly.

Goldith just nodded and pulled Teazer into a warm hug.

She took a deep breath. "Jellylorum asked me what I thought of Mungojerrie and started to say that he seemed nice, but that I didn't know him well enough and then memories started coming and I said that I didn't want to get to know him and something about 'not now' and 'too soon.' That's about all I can… wait!" she sat up. "Then I guess I started crying and I do remember Jenny hugging me. The next thing I remember was running out. And here I am." She helplessly shrugged. "And here you are too. I feel really stupid for putting up a fuss about that. Yes, I am attracted to him, but I can't get Reaper out of my system. And I can't do anything about Mungojerrie until I get him out of my system." she felt her eyes start to tear up. "I also," she dropped off, not sure if she should tell Goldith, but went ahead anyway. "I have this feeling that we've met before and… well… it wasn't in this lifetime." She looked at Goldith. "Is that even possible? And, and… oh! I can't explain it…" she blew a frustrated stream of air out of her lips as she tried to come to understandable terms with her thoughts and feelings. "But I somehow feel connected to him and I… I… hate his mother."

Goldith noticed her hesitation and quickly shoved a piece of chocolate in her paw. She then took Teazer's hand and gently guided it to her mouth.

Teazer stuck the chocolate in her mouth and began to suck on it. The effect was almost immediate. She was feeling better. She smiled at Goldith. "Thank you, my friend. I don't know what I'd do without you. I just need some time… but for some reason I feel that I'm not going to get that time that I need. I need to face the fire. "

Goldith just shrugged like it was no big deal. "Hell, girl, don't worry about it. That's what best friends are for. Are you ready to go back downstairs?" she asked. But then her eyes took on a mischievous glint as the stood up. "But isn't he handsome? His ass looks fabulous in those jeans."

Teazer giggled girlishly.

"I mean it! His eyes are so dreamy." She sighed. "And his paws? They're strong. Strong paws are good." She winked at her friend who blushed.

Teazer finally couldn't hold it in any longer. She began laughing really hard. "Goldith! Stop it! That's mean." She tried to say it sternly, but her laughter was making it difficult. "You're taken! What are you doing going around looking at other toms' butts? But yes, he is something else… But enough." She stopped laughing and looked sternly at her friend. The look didn't last long until she burst into laughter. It was then that she caught a look at herself in the mirror. "Oh my god! I look awful!"

A face joined her and shook her head. "No you don't. But if it makes a difference, go wipe off your eyes and go natural. But… be sure to wear lip gloss or lipstick. I'll wait."

Teazer sighed and looked at her friend and then at the mirror. "You're right. I'll be right back." With that, she disappeared into the bathroom. 5 minutes later, she emerged looking much better. "There. How do I look?" she struck a sexy pose.

Goldith laughed and slung an arm around her friend. "Hon, you never looked better. Now… let's go dazzle those handsome toms down there with our beautiful presence."

Teazer laughed again and together they descended down the stairs. As they reached the bottom, Teazer hung onto Goldith's arm. When they entered the dining room, everybody looked at them. There were two empty chairs. One was between Skimbleshanks and Mungojerrie and the other was between Alonzo and Jellylorum. "Hi everyone." She said quietly as she slipped into the chair that Mungojerrie held for her. "I'm very sorry to have disturbed dinner, but I'm not feeling too well." she reached out and picked up her wine glass. She took a few sips and felt it course through her system. Goldith sat next to Alonzo and whispered in his ear. He nodded and kissed her. She blushed.

"So, Alonzo and Goldith, how long have ye been together?" asked Skimbleshanks cheerily as he tried to lighten the mood at the table.

Teazer was staring into her goblet, Jenny had a smile plastered on her face, Jellylorum looked like she'd eaten a lemon, and Mungojerrie kept stealing glances at Rumpleteazer. A concerned look flashed across his rugged features.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asked her quietly.

She looked at him and smiled slightly, "Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell. But thank you for caring. It's appreciated." She took another sip of her wine to try and stop herself from being lost in his eyes. She took a deep breath.

"Would you like to go get a drink with me? I mean a _real_ drink?" he asked a bit shyly. His paws started to fiddle with the napkin.

"Are you sure? I mean, do you still want to even though I probably insulted your mom?" she asked earnestly.

He saw fear, happiness, and apprehension fly across her face. "Yes. Mum is too caught up in herself anyway. Sometimes she just plows into something without thinking about who is involved and who could get hurt. Please?" he asked again, feeling braver.

A small giggle escaped her mouth as she nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that a lot."

He let a breath that he didn't realize he was holding. She said yes! His mind rejoiced. He got up and went over to where Goldith and Alonzo were sitting and whispered in their ears. "I'm taking her to get a drink. It's a bar called Slater's and it's in Quarry. Here's my cell in case you need us." He slipped them a slip of paper and went back to Teazer. "Ready?" she nodded. "Do you need a coat or anything?" he asked concernedly.

She thought for a moment and then nodded. She quickly ran upstairs and he left the table.

"Hey, where are you going?" Jellylorum stood up and called as she saw Jenny's niece leave the table and her son following. She didn't like the idea of her son being with Rumpleteazer for some reason.

Teazer flew down the stairs clutching her purse, and a wrap.

He opened the door, put a hand on the small of her back just above her tail and followed her out. He blatantly ignored his mum's protests. He quickly jumped to open the car door for her and watched as she came down the driveway. Her dress seemed to float around her and it took his breath away. But even as it did, he remembered Jennyanydots's warning. He knew that tonight, he couldn't have too much to drink or he might do something that would drive her away and back to NYC forever. He went to the driver's side and hopped in. Soon they were roaring out of the driveway and heading for Quarry.

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Whatcha think? 


	9. Dancing and Drinks

_Ok. I edited the chapter. Here is ch. 7. Many thanks to **Quidam the Nameless**. I ahve now finished ch. 8. But I'd like some feedback. I mixed up the chapters and had accidently posted this one twice, but it's fixed. Critique is more than welcome. Enjoy!_

_-Serendipity Kat_

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Chapter 7: Dancing and Drinks

As they drove away from the house, the only thing running through Mungojerrie's mind was the scene of the queen sitting next to him running out of the room with tears on her face and then it faded away into the next scene of when she apparently laughed at something Goldith had said at the top of the landing. Her laugh was… unexplainably… he struggled to find the right word. It was… sexy? Beautiful? Intoxicating? He couldn't figure it out. And then when she gave him that small smile after he asked her if she was ok… it was like… magic. He looked over at her, sitting there calmly. Nothing like the first time he'd seen her: all fire and energy. And presently she was nothing like the scene where she was running out of the room: crying and vulnerable. And it also wasn't like when he helped her sit down and she smiled at him. That was like the calm after the storm. And now… it seemed more like apprehension. Bast, he hadn't seen anybody with that many faces, that many emotions in a long time. It intrigued him.

Soon they pulled into a parking lot and in front of them was a respectable looking building with a green and light yellow awning and gold edged doors. The windows were covered by pale green curtains and there was a warm glow emanating from the beyond the curtains. Above the awning was a large sign that glowed in green and read Slater's. Mungojerrie spent time here when he needed to get away form everything and he didn't want to go to The Rose. The Rose was as much of a local bar as one could get. It was a shot-only, no water, girls dancing on the counter kind of bar. (Think _Coyote Ugly_ ) Slater's was an upper-class club/bar. Here there was actually live bands and dancing. And you could get drinks other than shots. It was a nice change of place. Besides, at The Rose, he basically knew everybody there was to know. He didn't want to bring _her_ there until she was more comfortable in his company and when she hadn't been stressed out almost 45 minutes before.

He pulled into a parking space and got out. And before she could open the door, he was opening it for her. He leaned on against the door and offered her his paw. She just looked at him like he was crazy and hesitantly placed her small paw in his large one. He gently pulled her to her feet. There she stood, about 6 inches away from him. It was a dark night with no moon and no clouds. The only light came from the glow of the green neon lights above their heads. His eyes met hers and he couldn't tear himself away from them. In her blue eyes, he saw a spark. Of what, he didn't know, but he had a feeling that it had to do with him and with the unexplained "memories" that had come to him since he'd met her. She was staring at his chest and he began to feel a bit self-conscious. True, he wasn't ripped, but he did work out. Her eyes then met his. Suddenly, though, she turned away and leaned towards the seat and made a grab for her wrap. As she did, he caught a flicker of something in her eyes. He moved away because he knew that if she turned around and looked at him like that again, he was gonna kiss her. And if he did kiss her, it could very well be fatal; for both of them. He closed the door and locked it. He put a gentle paw on the small of her back as he led her to the entrance and before he could do anything, she opened it for him. He looked at her in surprise and she smiled at him. It was a thank-you kind of smile. He smiled back and entered. But then at the second set of doors, he did the same thing for her, except that he added a little bow. She giggled and curtsied. He smiled as he followed her into the club.

The light in the club wasn't as dim as most, but it wasn't bright like a store. There were small tables everywhere and in the center of each was a small gold lamp with a green shade. The tables were surrounding a wooden dance floor. There was a stage on one end and a disco ball swung around slowly as music seeped from the hidden speakers. There was a good-sized crowd milling around either side of the dance floor or sitting at the tables. A band he didn't recognize was setting up their equipment as he led her to an empty table and hailed a waiter.

"May I get you anything?" asked the waiter smoothly.

"A Bud and…" he broke off and gestured to his companion. Teazer looked up and thought for a moment.

"Umm, a Tequila Sunrise, please." She said finally.

"Coming right up." With that, the waiter glided away into the crowd.

Teazer was silent on the drive to the club. She needed to think. Luckily for her, Mungojerrie didn't seem inclined to pry into her thoughts. She liked that. Mungojerrie, what a tom! She couldn't believe him, leaving to take her out in the middle of dinner. He also didn't seem to give false pretenses or put on airs… like Reaper had. There was something about him too that made her want him. But she couldn't! She needed to come to terms with her feelings for Reaper. Even though it had been a while, and he was the one to hurt her, she still had feelings for him. Or at least she though she did. She had been with him for a long time and it just didn't seem right or completely plausible to completely forget all her feelings for him. She had given away a part of her heart to him and knew that she wouldn't get it back. While she didn't completely know how she was going to get over him, she did know that she had to face him… it… sooner or later. She hoped it was later.

She snuck a glance over the tom driving. He was focused intently on the road, the muscles in his arms were tense as he gripped the steering-wheel. _A tux... and a church…_ the memory floated through her mind and she blinked. What was THAT? She wondered. This was another thing. Since she'd arrived, she'd been having these visions or memories or thoughts. She couldn't put a name to them for they were a bit of all three.

By this time they had arrived at the bar. She was impressed by the look of the place. As a fashion designer, she could appreciate the subtleties in the color scheme. Green and light yellow, it was beautiful. And then with the gold… it was nice enough for a dress color scheme. Maybe something with one sleeve and a full skirt… she tucked the thought into a back corner of her mind. She brought her mind back into focus on him as he got out of the car and strode around to her side of the car and opened her door. She looked at him from underneath her lashes as he held out his black and red paw. She placed her paw in his.

As their eyes met, an intense feeling coursed through her and hummed in her veins. And then, in front of her it was as if a cloud of fog appeared and from within, a pale blue light penetrated through the mist and in its place, she could see a grassy area. The 'vision' expanded and on the grassy area a house materialized into existence. It looked almost identical to Cattail Manor, but it wasn't as run down. The lawn outside was neatly trimmed surrounded by an iron fence with flowery images chiseled into the bars. There were hedges around the outside of the grass filled with colorful blooms. It could have been in the late spring, but she wasn't sure. The entrance was something similar to a carriage drive. The walkway leading from the wrought-iron gate went for a ways and then split into two paths to make room for a fountain. Soon after that, the walkway merged with a tiled walkway with two columns in the front and back. The columns were circular and seemed to blend seamlessly into the stone cover above the entrance. Underneath the entrance there were two figures. They seemed to be a male and a female. They were holding hands, but Rumpleteazer couldn't see their faces. But what she could see were the rich garments that clung to the bodies. There was a pause, and then, one of the faceless bodies turned to face her. She was shocked at what she saw: a pair of deep blue eyes and little freckles across the bridge of a nose. She was looking at a mirror image of herself.

She jerked her head a bit and the vision faded. She looked up to see Mungojerrie's eyes boring into hers. She turned back towards the car and gathered her wrap up. If she wasn't careful, she'd fall into his eyes… his beautiful green eyes. When she had retrieved her wrap, she looked back to where he was standing and saw that he'd moved away from her.

Once they were inside the club and seated at a table, she was able to finally look around. The interior wasn't extremely dark, but neither was it very bright. It sported gold wall lamps with green shades which emanated a warm glow to the room. There was a nice size dance floor and a stage with mikes set up at the front. Nobody was up there now, but according to the chalkboard off to the right, there was a group scheduled in hour. Just then a waiter glided over and asked her what she wanted. She thought for a minute and then said, "A tequila sunrise." The waiter disappeared and she was left with Mungojerrie.

They sat across from each other, staring, in silence. All around them were the usual sounds of a club: glasses clinking, faint music from hidden speakers, shuffling of paws, whispers and the occasional laugh, and the brush of fabric moving against others. It was a very calm and romantic atmosphere. She turned away from his eyes and looked down at her paws. She gracefully removed the wrap from her striped shoulders and set it beside her on the table. She looked up again to see him watching her with slit eyes. She took a deep breath and looking down at her paws, broke the silence.

"I, I'm sorry for causing, a, a, scene, back there." she said quietly. "I didn't mean to get upset at your mom. It's just that she asked me something that I couldn't answer." She looked back up at him. "And I'm not ready to talk about it just yet. But I'm very sorry for disturbing dinner."

Mungojerrie smiled and reached for her paw. "It's fine. I never liked the formal dinners anyway. I mean, no offense to Jennyanydots, but this kind of thing is more like my kind of stuff." He looked at her paw as it was dwarfed by his and continued on, "I understand that you don't want to talk about it, but it does help to let it bleed off. If you ever need to talk, I'm there for you. You're… I don't know… you're different from anyone I've ever met. I don't mean to scare you, but I feel as though I've met you somewhere before." He stopped. He didn't want her to think that he was some kind of stalker and also he didn't want to turn her off. He really, really liked her and eh wanted to get to know her better, but he couldn't do that if she thought that he was some kind of jerk.

Her blue eyes met his and in them he saw something that looked like recognition. She spoke.

"I, I, you… you too?" she asked incredulously. "I mean, I felt it too. When I first saw you standing at the door something… I'm not sure what… but it seemed to hit me between the eyes. It was a spark of something…"

By this time their drinks had arrived and Mungo pick up his Bud and held it out to Rumple. She did the same thing with her tequila sunrise and pushed her blonde hair out of the way.

"To friends." She said rather shyly. As she said this, she saw a warm smile creep across her companion's face. She blushed.

"You consider me a friend?" he asked curiously, trying to suppress his happiness. If she did, then that would make it easier to… 'Stop it!' his common sense shouted in his head.

"I do. You stood up against your mom. You stood up for me." She was still surprised that he had done that. Reaper couldn't have cared less about what had been said to her. "I mean… isn't that what friends do?" she said shyly, staring into his eyes.

Mungojerrie smiled and said, "Of course." He noticed that she was still speaking softly. He looked into her eyes and saw sadness and guilt… and fear. What was that about? He wouldn't harm her. "Well, if you consider me a friend, then you're my friend too." His ears twitched and he heard the opening chords of a song. He stood up and held out his paw. "Dance with me?"

She smiled and put her paw in his. "I'd love to. I really like this place. It's very… calm."

"Before you go, I'll have to show you The Rose. It's the local bar." He added on to the end of his sentence when he noticed her quizzical expression. "My friend, Tugger, his wife co-owns it with her sister."

"Oh, well I'll be here until sometime after New Years. Whenever the new season starts, then, I'll be back in New York City." She smiled and together they moved out onto the dance floor.

An upbeat song started to flow from the speakers and the two of them moved together to the beat.

As he swung her around the floor, his mind tried drifting, but he wouldn't let it. He was thinking about what it would be like to kiss her.

Soon a slower song came on and Rumpleteazer instinctively moved closer to Mungojerrie. Soon she had her arms around his neck and his paws on her waist. It felt good to be held like this again. But then she involuntary stiffened when, instead of Mungojerrie holding her, she imagined… no she felt Reaper. She froze when she looked up and instead of Mungojerrie's warm green eyes, beheld Reaper's yellow ones. The yellow ones that could be as calm or cruel as possible. She couldn't move, if she did, he might hurt her.

Mungojerrie stopped moving when he felt her freeze. He looked down into her eyes and in them, instead of a clear blue, they were cloudy and there was fear more potent than he'd seen it. She was staring at him as if she'd seen a ghost. He released his grip on her waist, but her arms were still frozen around his neck. He gently reached up and took her arms off his neck and lightly held her paws. "Teazer? What's wrong? Teazer?" he asked hesitantly. He wasn't sure if he should use a nickname considering he'd only known her the past couple hours. But he decided to anyway. Maybe, just maybe, if he did it might snap her out of whatever was going on inside her pretty head. It might show her that he cared.

Rumpleteazer saw him… felt him… he was there… in front of her… the pale blond and white tom. He was dressed in one of his ever-immaculate outfits. This time it was a black tux. He had on a cream colored shirt that seemed to blend in with his fur. He wore a bow-tie, his short brown hair was slicked back, and he wore diamond cufflinks. He was picky and thorough on details. And he had expected her to be that way too. There she was… all shining and diamonds… _his_ jewels. Not hers, never hers, always his. She was in a stunning red and gold floor-length dress. It had a sweetheart neckline and came off the shoulders into three-quarter length gold filmy angel-wing sleeves. The bodice was lightly embroidered with thin gold thread and the shirt flared out at the bottom in a fishtail style. The dress was one of her best creations.

And yet… somewhere in the small neglected corners of her mind was a faint memory of dancing with Mungojerrie. But she could focus on that, she could only focus on what she saw in front of her at that very minute, not what actually was, only what she saw. She remembered that night. Oh, yes it had run through her head at least a thousand times.

It was the night he proposed.

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Whatcha think? I'd really like some feedback. 


	10. Reaper

Hello, my dears. Again, many, many thanks to **Quidam the Namless** for helping me immensly with this chapter. Critique is much appreciated. Again, it will be a while again before this is updated. I know who I'm going to write about in the next chapter, but... it will take a while. I hope you enjoy this. Btw... I'd really like some constructive critisism instead of fluff. Also... what do you people think about Keller?

-Serendipity Kat

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Chapter 8: Reaper

"Sir? Your next meeting is in 15 min." a black tom poked his head in the spacious office.

The black leather chair swiveled around to reveal a tom that could be considered beautiful. He was a pale blonde and white- long furred tom. His short brown hair was slicked back in the European style that was popular. He was dressed impeccably in a brown suit that was the most popular one at the time.

"Thank you, Carlan." He acknowledged the other tom. Carlan left and Reaper swung his chair around again and stared out at the New York skyline. He could smell leather and chrome. He hadn't been in this particular place too long and so the newness of everything still lingered. Like her scent. He scowled as a face drifted into his mind. It was a very attractive face, but one that was from the past. He was very proud of what he had accomplished in the four years since he had dumped _her._ She had been too much for him to handle. He was enraptured with her at the start, but after he had proposed to her, she became almost unbearable for him. She was clingy and demanding and obsessed over her work. So he had looked elsewhere. He sighed inwardly. Of course he felt bad about it, but in his mind he justified it as being the best thing to do. But then she caught him and he had to break off the engagement. It was the proper thing to do. He couldn't have her ruining his name and spoiling his credentials. But even now, she still seemed to haunt him. He turned back around and his eyes fell onto his desk. There was a magazine that he didn't remember bring there. There were papers on top of it and he could only assume that Carlan had brought it. As he pushed the papers aside, her face was plastered on the front. "No, no, no!" he moaned. He didn't want to be reminded of her. Dammit! She was still as beautiful as ever. She was leaning against a wall with one paw on her still slender waist. The other one was hanging limply by her side. Even now, he couldn't fault her taste in clothes. She was almost his equal in having an impeccable taste in clothes. She had on a short sundress. It had a handkerchief hemline that flared out a bit and accentuated her figure. Which, he noted was still as perfect as it was when they were dating. The top had a plunging neckline that showed off her generous white chest. Her hair was short though, instead of long and flowing. He remembered the feel of it against his paw as he had run it through her hair. A picture flashed by in his mind.

It was at the New York High Society Annual Glitter Benefit, also called The Glitter. The champagne was flowing, the jewels sparkling, and the rich mingling. He was dancing with the most beautiful queen ever. Her dress sparkled and she looked radiant in the jewels he had given her. They were his birthday present to her. He gave her a lot of things. He vividly remembered calling for the attention of the audience and then bending down on one knee and giving her the 2-karat marquise cut stone set in platinum. He remembered the look of joy on her face.

He looked down at the magazine on his desk. He flipped open the pages and started to read. It talked about how she was going to be showcased at the Fashion Gala coming up in mid December. He was impressed. It hadn't taken her long to get over their break-up apparently. He put down the magazine and picked up the rest of the mail. As his blue eyes scanned the envelopes, one near the bottom caught his attention. It was addressed to a Mr. Reaper Helaer at 347 Chante Ave. France. He frowned at the address. It had been a year since he'd lived in France. He looked at the return address and scowled. He thought that he'd taken care of everything. He scanned the contents. The gist of the letter was simple enough. It only said that his presence was needed as soon as possible. It didn't say why, nor who it was from. It also included an invitation to the community Christmas party on the 18th. He sat down in the chair and pulled out his desk calendar. Today was the 1st. He had to be back in town for the Fashion Gala, but he could spend time down there. It was ok because Helaer Company wasn't directly hosting a designer, so there was no time to be wasted back in New York on a clothing line. He pushed a button on his desk. The frosted glass door to his office opened.

"Yes, sir?" Carlan asked.

Reaper leaned forward. "I'm taking some time off. Several weeks, in fact. I need you to get a hold of Markalia for me. I'll need you to put off my appointments until I get back I will back in time for the Fashion Gala, however. I'll take my phone and labtop, but unless it's an emergency, I won't come back until the 19th." He sat back and rubbed his paw over his immaculately combed hair.

"Yes, sir. May I inquire as to why?" Carlan asked politely as he stood up.

Reaper rolled his eyes and replied. "I have some unfinished business to take care of."


	11. THE END

_A HUGE tahnk you to everyone who reviewed and faved. However, as I've stopped writing for the CATS fandom, I'm posting the ending to this story and it's unwritten sequel. This was one of my favorite stories, but I don't have the motivation to write for CATS anymore. For more info, please read the author's note in "Too Hungry To Care." _

_I figured that if I let you guys know how the story ended, then I'm not under any obligation to finish it. If you want to review, fine. But no amount of pleading or asking or poking will bring back my inspiration. _

_-Serendipity Kat_

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The Ending

Keller is the tie between the times.

Tavia and Damar are/were in love, Sahari wants Damar, curses both of them, Siara is Sahari's cousin, both magical. Siara is good and it will be her job to bring the destruction of Sahari to an end. But, she'll need to find an anchor (Plato) for she cannot save love until she feels it herself.

Tavia and Damar can't find happiness until either Sahari gets what she wants (Damar), or the two of them destroy her. But if she gets what she wants, they won't be happy with each other, which is what they want, so their only option is to destroy her.

Siara wanted to stop Sahari from cursing Tavia and Damar, for she saw how real their love is, but when Sahari, Tavia, and Damar go and come back as other felines, she realizes that she needs to save them this time, for she couldn't do so the first time. So she goes and comes back as someone else (Jemima).

Sahari wants revenge, reincarnated herself as Jellylorum, gave birth to Mungojerrie (Lord Damar), and Jemima (Siara). She hates her son and loves her daughter, even though Siara hates Sahari. Hates that Mungojerrie found Rumpleteazer (Lady Tavia), doesn't realize it FULLY yet and doesn't know why she hates Rumpleteazer.

Rumpleteazer senses something about Jellylorum and then tries to persuade Mungojerrie. Keller knows about them and their alter egos. She as there when it happened and so therefore, she remembers.

Reaper hurt Rumpleteazer, finds out where she is and comes back to get her. He realizes that her wants her back even though he hates her. He's addicted to her personality. And that's the only reason he wants her again: as a trophy. She's doing well for herself and he wants to add that to his reputation. He only really wants her for her money and prestige. She refuses and he leaves but not before shaking her self confidence. But it shakes her up and it is then that Mungojerrie tells her that he loves her. And then the two of them fully discover who they were as does everyone else. Keller's the one who gives them their memories. Sahari won't be able to do anything for a while so she bides her time. The story ends with the profession of love.

Reaper is the owner of the car garage that Mungojerrie works at. He goes back to Cattail to see about the garage. In return he is invited to the annual Christmas party by Keller. He talks to Mungojerrie not knowing that he knows about Rumpleteazer.

At the party, Reaper runs into Rumpleteazer and he starts to talk to her. The whole party stop and all of the younger felines (Tugger, Bombalurina, Mungojerrie, the girls, ect.) back her up and the adults just stare on. Except for Jellylorum. She's standing off to the side. Then after Reaper bothers Teazer enough, he leaves and everything goes back to normal. Or almost. Mungojerrie tries to dance with Teazer again, but she won't have any of it. he then takes her outside and she tells him how glad she is that he was there. He says that same thing. She feels a huge relief that she's finally confronted her past. She then feels that she loves Mungojerrie. He feels the same and fluff ensures. Then as they kiss, Keller is in the back and sends out her magic and it's as if time freezes. In the middle of the ballroom, a large cloud appears and to all those whom it concerns, the prologue plays out and everybody knows who they are. The story ends with Jellylorum/Sahari's thoughts about wanting to wait for revenge and Keller collapsing.

Then Jemima and Plato appear in "Finding Love's Heart." The story continues with Keller dying and passes her power to Jemima (Siara). Jemima has all of Keller's books, ect and tries to unlock the full scale of the powers which even Keller wasn't able to do. But she needs to find love and that comes in the form of Plato.

Together, the four of them vanquish Sahari at the wedding between Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer and live happily ever after as Lord Damar, Lady Tavia, and Siara. They then revert back to the time period at the wedding. Except without Sahari interrupting.


End file.
